Green’s Dictionary of Slang

worthless, useless; see also under worth a... phr.

c.1499		Skelton Bowge of Courte line 392: Fye on this dyce, they be not worth a turde!
c.1535		R. Copland Hye way to the Spyttel House Cii: Then gooth his knaue to a town to bye / These drogges that be not worth a torde.
1560		E. More Schole house of Women Aii: By theyr reason, nor worth a torde yet wyll the woman haue the last worde.
a.1661		‘A Display of the Headpiece & Codpiece Valour’ in Rump Poems and Songs (1662) II 91: But the whole design was not worth two half-Turds.
1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk IV 78: Proffer’d Love’s not worth a Cow-turd.
1675		A devillish great he-whore that lives yonder at Rome 1: A Pox on the Pope, with his damn’d bald Pate, / [...] / Must Majesty fall and wallow in Blood / For a Whore’s Quarrel that’s not worth a Turd?
1682		A. Radcliffe ‘The Ramble’ Poems 96: He fancy’d much your Silver Sword, And you wear his not worth a Turd.
1700		‘Song’ in Playford Pills to Purge Melancholy II 42: And if he has not Minc’d Pyes, his Cheer’s not worth a turd.
1842		‘The Saint Giles’s Jade’ Nancy Dawson’s Cabinet of Songs 45: Th’ beggar vos not worth a t--d.